Three Vidi-grants for Wageningen scientists

Gepubliceerd op

19 mei 2014

Wageningen scientists Marleen Kamperman, Bert de Rybel and Joop Vermeer (alumnus of Wageningen University as well) will each receive a Vidi grant, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research announced on Monday. Vidi grants are awarded to researchers who have successfully carried out several years of research after they completed their PhD. The grant amounts to a maximum of 800,000 euros. It will allow them to conduct research into the topic they submitted.

Bristle worms live in water and build cylindrical houses by sticking together pieces of shell and stone. The researchers are going to replicate the mechanism that bristle worms use to shed glue in water, and are going to develop a strong, tough glue that can for example be used as biomedical glue.

Dr. ir. Bert De Rybel, Laboratory of Biochemistry: Deel en heers

Plant cells need to divide in a very specific manner during the early stages of their development to give tissue the correct three-dimensional shape. The researchers will investigate how plants check which cells should divide and how the direction of this division is determined.